Why do computer geeks hate macs?

Question

does anyone notice that computer geeks hate macs? i think they hate them because they are so easy to use and they don't want to be on the same level as an everyday person. Do you think they hat them and why? and i don't want to hear because they can't play W.O.W. on it.

Answer 1

I'm a computer professional and I don't hate Macs, I support them along with PCs and linux machines.  However, I think I can answer your question in detail.  

Macs are frustrating to fix.  As an IT person, the lack of good information for how to fix Macs is a huge minus for me and my organization.  

Macs broadcast like crazy.  

Macs have a problem printing to network-shared printers.

Macs have no WINS.

You can't join a mac to a domain without pulling teeth (or all of your hair out).  

Old Mac files are two-fold with data and executable sections separate - this makes them extremely breakable in file server type situations.  SMB and/or Samba is a bear to configure correctly.

Mac users are less well-informed about basic things such as DNS, networking, and file management, among other things.  Because Macs are so "user friendly" they hide their powerful features behind a nice interface.  Therefore, communicating with a Mac user is like communicating with a grandma who is learning about computers for the first time.

In a business environment, Macs are limited in functionality, for example, Outlook on a mac will not perform many advanced features. This is extremely frustrating for both the Mac user and the IT person.  Usually the IT person gets blamed for not being able to make it work.  But it's not their fault that the software simply will not perform advanced tasks, such as reading a Global Address Book, without a great deal of effort.

IT people aren't well informed about Macs.  Macs need a great deal of free software to run correctly.  IT organizations fear free software for obvious reasons of no-support, and virus risk.  So they keep telling Mac users to not use what is essential to their daily functioning.  This breaks down corporate communications because the Mac users will simply stop talking to the IT people if they feel "ratted out" to management.

On the plus side: Macs have Fink, which makes a Mac more like a Linux machine - that's computer geek paradise.  A stable machine that has a nice interface and a huge amount of cool software that's also useful for programmers and scientists.

But there's even a downside to that - in a business environment, you don't want a bunch of freeware that you don't have good support for.  It's too risky.  If you lose the one or two IT people who can maintain it, and understand it, then you're usually totally screwed because the Mac user can't be trusted to know how it works.  

I once gave a presentation to the Mac graphics group at work.  They were totally fascinated by my explanation of how their computer problems were related to their not being joined to the corporate domain, and broadcasting limitations on the network.  It was all news to them.  

However, they still did not give us permission to join their computers to the domain and use the advanced Mac OS X features instead of broadcasting.  Why?  Because they didn't trust any changes.  There had been a track record of hostility between them and the IT dept, so they almost never accepted our help.  You can see how this will lead to bad feelings all around.  

Don't get me wrong.  I love Macs and I wish I could support them better, but right now, for the many reasons I've given above, it's not possible.

Answer 2

I'd say if they really were geeks they would share the love and dual boot windows and mac together. Mac does have the problem with the games but dual booting fixes that. Mac also rarely gets viruses but it gives users the false sense of security. Then before they know it they logged in a phishing site. I believe the PC puts people on there toes and learn to be careful. But there both fine OS.

Answer 3

Well, I'm not sure that it's fair to say that all computer geeks hate Mac's. I know a lot of Mac Geeks -- doesn't that make them computer geeks as well? -- and they certainly don't hate their Mac's.

Some of the reasons that folks who love to soup up their PCs don't like Mac's are:

(1) all of the Mac hardware is proprietary, so you can't pick up odd stuff and get it plugged into a Mac -- you can't build funky systems that combine a lot of different hardware and capabilities -- Mac has become a little more of an open system, but still requires that some of the fundamental hardware be Mac only.

(2) if you're used to tweaking your system at the OS level -- it's much more difficult to do on a Mac then a PC

(3) There's a lot more free code floating around for tweaks, bells and whistles, and interfaces for Linux and Windows than there is for the Mac.

(4) $$$ - Mac stuff is expensive and "geeks" are usually trying to build/code for cheap.

Answer 4

I hate you calling me a geek but anyhow , i do IT support and maintenance for a large Medical Imaging Organisation and the bulk of our computers are Windows based , simply because people know how to use them , Microsoft has saturated the market with it windows products and people are more familiar with what they know.

On a personal level i hate macs purely because not alot of programmes and applications i like to run work on a mac , plus i can boot a MAC OS on my windows PC any i still have the ability to upgrade and customise parts.

When you said "they dont want to be on the same level as the everyday person" i got confused alot more people are running WIndows Machines then they are MACS , thus all the "Geeks" so to say are using Windows machines too and Theoretically on the same level as "The everyday person" .

Not to forget Linux / UNIX this is a very stable operating system and not for "the everyday person" and i would like to suggest those "Geeks" would be using it and then i guess you could say "They arn't on the same level as the everyday person" but i dont think that's why they hate MACS.

It most probably because of these:

* if a geek so to say where to compile a virus for a MAC thats boring and hardly anyone would be infected , so why not compile for a Windows machine everyone has them

*There is a lack of compatibility with alot of software

*personally i think there's a sense of "snobbishness" associated with owning a MAC

*You cant customise them

Theres probably alot more but thats my view

Answer 5

Macs can't play games, they can't be upgraded, they have NO customization abilities, they are incompatible with a LOT, not a lot of software is made for them.

And in my personal experience, it was not "easy to use".  It was a real pain in the behind.

That's why.  Macs are garbage.

Answer 6

Gamers hate Macs. For a good reason too. They simply suck at playing games.

Most computer enthusiasts love Macs. They are simple and have less problems that windows PCs.

P.S.

WoW is actually one of the few games that play very well on Macs.

Answer 7

they don't understand the mac philosophy  

Answer 8

Macs are not easy to be upgraded and are incompatible with alot of software and other tools.This is why it is not easy to be used.

But personally macs are nice and sleek.

Answer 9

Macs are low on games. I was planning to buy one, but I found out that I will not be able to run my Zoo Tycoon because there is a separate version for Mac. They are powerful, no doubt, but still, we lose the great and user-friendly taskbar from Windows, which is replaced by the dashboard. It is odd. Also, I find that the iPod, iTunes and other Apple products are not so user-friendly. I like the Safari browser that I downloaded today, though.

Answer 10

I don't think they HATE them, Its more personal preference and what operating system you are using. I have 2 macs and 3 pcs one of which is running ubuntu

Mac 1

Dual 2.8 GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo

16 GBs of ram

1 TB S/ATA

Dual ATi Radeon 2400s

Dual 30" Apple Cinema display

Bluetooth + Airport Extreme

Leopard 10.5

Mac 2

Mac Mini

2 gb ram

2 ghz Intel Core 2 Duo

160 Gb hard drive

23" Dell ultrasharp display

Bluetooth + Airport Extreme

Leopard  10.5

PC 1

Custom

Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.20 ghz

2 gbs ddr ram

500 GB hard drive

Windows XP Professional SP3

PC2

laptop

4 gbs ram

2 ghz core 2

320 gb hard driv

wifi n

bluetooth

pc 3

Ubuntu

2 gb ram

Nvidia

320 gb hard drive

AMD X2  

Answer 11

well... i think ... real geeks hates not only Mac... but also windows !! ... because both os requires very basic computing knowledge and also .. they are not so powerful as their biggest competitor ... Linux ...

i bet , neither windows nor mac can do things that linux can .... and its why they like unix/linux more then other OS ...